Patient Portal Development Guide for Clinics & Hospitals (2025)

Patient portals play a key role in today’s healthcare, as they help patients engage more and make communication with providers easier. A 2024 report by Health IT Analytics shows that over 70% of U.S. healthcare organizations use patient portals. 

The market will grow at 16.5% annually from 2023 to 2030. In 2025, clinics and hospitals need patient portal software development to create custom portals. These portals improve patient access, simplify administration, and increase satisfaction. This guide shows you the steps to build a portal that fits your healthcare needs

What is a Patient Portal Software?

Patient portal software is a digital health platform that allows patients to access their personal health records. It lets users manage appointments, request prescription refills, and communicate directly with healthcare providers.

They often connect with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems. This connection allows easy communication, data sharing, and better patient engagement.

Purpose of Building a Patient Portal

Patient portal software is designed to make administrative tasks easier for healthcare providers. Healthcare portal development focuses on creating portals that help achieve this goal. It’s an important part of healthcare’s digital transformation.

• Empower patients to take control of their medical records (past visits, lab results, prescriptions) 
• Reduce unnecessary in-person visits and administrative overhead
• Improve communication between medical providers and patients
• Book or cancel doctor appointments, message their doctors directly
• Increase transparency and trust through real-time access to health information
• Help patients follow treatments and improve health outcomes (get reminders for checkups or vaccinations, etc)

Patient portals connect care and digital convenience. They let patients access healthcare services anytime, anywhere. Good patient portal software development makes sure the system is easy to use, secure, and fits the needs of both patients and providers.

Types of Patient Portals

Patient portals  vary in form based on how they are developed, integrated, and used in various software types during patient portal development.

• Standalone Portals: Independent platforms not directly connected to EHRs. Typically used by smaller clinics or niche service providers.
• Integrated patient portal: Portals bundled within major EHR systems like Epic MyChart, Cerner, or Allscripts. These are tightly linked with clinical workflows.
• Custom-Built Portals: Tailored solutions designed to meet specific needs of a hospital or clinic. They offer flexibility, scalability, and control. These are often part of specialized Medical Portal Software development projects.
• Mobile Patient Portals: Healthcare providers design these portals for smartphones and tablets as part of patient portal app development. They send real-time push notifications, support biometric login, and work as mobile apps.
• Third-Party SaaS Portals: These portals follow a subscription model. They support multiple healthcare providers using a shared cloud-based system.

Examples of Patient Portal Software

Several leading patient portals stand out in the market today. They are recognized as top solutions in patient portal software development.

• Epic MyChart lets patients view records, join telehealth visits, and send messages.
• Cerner HealtheLife allows users to schedule visits, check lab results, and manage medicine.
• Athenahealth Portal gives tools for communication, billing, and appointments.
• NextGen Patient Portal works well for small clinics. It offers easy setup and simple use.
• Custom Patient portal Solutions: Hospitals like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic build their own portals.

Patient portals help hospitals work better. They cut admin tasks and give patients a better experience.

8 Core Features of Patient Portal Software

 If you want your patient portal to actually make a difference, you need to focus on the patient portal features that truly matter to the people using it. These are the core tools that solve real problems for both patients and providers. Let’s take a closer look at the patient portal features every great platform should include. 

1. Health Records

Health Records let patients see their electronic health records (EHR) through the patient portal. This is a key part of patient portal software development. Patients can view their medical history, lab results, diagnoses, vaccines, and other data.

The portal pulls EHR data from hospital systems. Patients log in to view, download, or share their records with doctors. This helps patients manage their care and helps providers make better decisions.

Core components include: 

• Medical history
• Lab and clinical test results
• Immunization records
• Medical imaging (X-rays, MRI)
• Doctor’s notes and instructions

Unlike isolated data features, Health Records bring together data from multiple health sources. They use advanced healthcare technology to build a complete clinical profile. This promotes transparency, increases patient engagement, improves care quality, and helps reduce medical errors.

2. Prescription Management

Prescription Management helps patients handle their prescriptions online. Patients can check their medications, get reminders, and ask for refills. Then, the system updates new prescriptions from doctors. Patients can download, print, or share them with pharmacies or clinics. To build prescription management, note to concentrate on:

• Prescription history
• Automatic refills
• Medication reminders
• Refill request interface with doctor feedback. 

Prescription Management focuses on patient-doctor interaction for treatment adherence. Due to that, it continues care, preventing missed or incorrect dosages, and improving treatment outcomes.

3. Appointment Scheduling 

Appointment scheduling allows patients to book medical appointments online quickly and conveniently, no need for phone calls or in-person visits. Through the patient portal, users can see real-time doctor availability and choose time slots that suit their schedule.

The system automatically sends booking confirmations and reminders via email or SMS, helping reduce missed appointments. Patients can also reschedule or cancel appointments easily when needed.

Key components include:

• Real-time doctor schedules
• An intuitive booking interface
• Automatic notification systems. 

Compared to traditional scheduling, this feature streamlines time management for both patients and clinics, minimizing errors and double bookings, and significantly improving user experience and healthcare operations.

4. Secure Messaging

Secure Messaging is a key telehealth solution that lets patients and doctors talk safely through the patient portal. Patients can ask questions, send updates, and get results without visiting the clinic. 

This feature uses encrypted messages to keep health information private. It is an important part of healthcare app development.

Core components include:

• Encrypted messaging inbox
• New message notifications
• A user-friendly interface for sending
• Storing messages.

Secure messaging protects medical data from security risks. It also strengthens communication between patients and providers, building trust and improving satisfaction.

5. Healthcare AI Chatbot

AI chatbots, or healthcare chatbots, offer 24/7 support in patient portals. They use technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning. Large Language Models (LLMs), such as GPT-4, are also included. They understand patient questions and create natural answers. They learn over time and can also support voice interactions.

They don’t just spit out pre-written answers. They actually understand what patients are asking, respond in natural language, learn from interactions, and in many cases, can even chat using voice.

Need to book an appointment? Done. Forgot your next visit? They’ll send a reminder. Not sure where to find your lab results? They’ll guide you.

By handling up to 30% of common patient requests, chatbots free up your healthcare team to focus on what they do best—caring for people.

Secure Messaging and AI chatbots are two key features that work closely to improve communication in patient portals. Secure Messaging provides a safe, encrypted channel for patients and doctors to communicate within the patient portal. AI chatbots integrate with this feature to handle common inquiries instantly, such as appointment scheduling, prescription refills, or basic medical questions. They get time back, and patients get help faster.

6. EHR and Third-Party Integration

Advanced patient portal software connects Electronic Health Records with patient portals in real time. All health data is unified across systems, which improves care quality, increases the accuracy of patient histories, and boosts operational efficiency. The system is also easier to scale as clinics grow. Different healthcare platforms can work together more smoothly thanks to better interoperability.

Third-party integrations offer clinical and administrative reports. These insights help clinics improve services and make better treatment decisions  based on real data.

Key Components:

• Real-time EHR data syncing
• Third-party integration modules
• Reporting and analytics tools
• Interoperability standards (HL7, FHIR)

The portal continuously syncs patient data from EHR systems and incorporates third-party sources. This unified data is securely accessed by healthcare providers to support better treatment decisions and clinic management.

7. Lab Forms and Test Results

Lab Forms and Test Results let patients see their lab results and reports online. This reduces calls to the clinic. A good patient portal shows sensitive results carefully. For example, doctors share serious news, like cancer, in person.

Some portals use charts and graphs. These tools help patients understand their results. They can see changes over time and compare with past data. This makes it easier to follow their health and decide what to do next.

The main parts include secure access, visual tools, and clear communication rules. This feature enhances patient engagement and supports proactive health management while ensuring privacy and clarity.

8. Billing and Payments

No one enjoys dealing with medical bills, especially when they’re confusing or hard to access. That’s why the billing and payments feature in patient portals is a game-changer.

Patients can log in anytime to check their bills, see exactly what they’re being charged for, and pay online in just a few clicks. Whether it’s with a credit card, bank transfer, or digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay, it’s all simple and secure.

From the clinic’s side, things get easier too. The system handles claim processing, calculates co-pays and deductibles automatically, and works smoothly with revenue management tools. Plus, all billing data stays protected with strong, HIPAA-compliant security

Why Custom Patient Portals Are Crucial for Health Providers?

If you are running a clinic, hospital, or healthcare services, investing in patient portal software development for a custom patient portal is more than just a tech upgrade. It brings real value to your team, your patients, and your business goals. Here’s why:

Every healthcare provider operates differently. Your services, your workflows, and your patient groups are not the same as others. A custom patient portal lets you design features that match how your business works. You can include things like online booking, secure messaging, access to test results, health records, and flexible billing options, all tailored to your medical system.

When patients can view their records, book appointments, pay bills, or chat with staff online, your team spends less time answering phone calls or handling paperwork.This means fewer human errors and more time to focus on care. It improves patient satisfaction and trust:  They feel more involved in their own care, and they don’t have to wait or call for simple updates.

A good patient portal doesn’t work alone. It connects with your existing systems, electronic health records (EHR), EMR patient portal software, payment gateways, CRM, or even your scheduling tools. You don’t have to switch platforms or double-handle data.

As your clinic or business grows, your needs will change. You may want to add telehealth features, connect with wearable devices, or expand to multiple branches.A custom portal gives you full control to scale, update, or adjust without starting over.

How to Develop a Patient Portal System

Building a patient portal software needs clear planning and smart execution. You must know how to create a patient portal and what features it needs. Each step helps make sure the portal works well for both doctors and patients. Here is a simple guide to help you develop a patient portal system.

1. Analyze Requirements

Before development starts, understand the portal’s purpose and user habits. Requirements analytics avoids extra functions and adds real value to healthcare. Clear requirements guide the team to build the right solution.

Here’s how to get it right from the beginning:

• Talk to real users: What do patients expect from the portal? What do doctors and staff need to make their day easier? Interviews, surveys, or quick workshops can give you surprising insights.
• Focus on what matters most: You don’t need every feature under the sun. Start with essentials like appointment booking, access to medical records, and secure messaging.
• Define what success looks like: Whether it’s fewer phone calls, faster appointment scheduling, or better patient engagement, make your goals clear and measurable.
• Learn from what’s out there: Check out other portals. What works well? What doesn’t? And don’t forget to cover your bases with compliance, such as HIPAA, FHIR, and any other standards relevant to your region.
• Start learning with an MVP: Keep it simple at first. Focus on delivering real value with a few strong features. Then improve and expand based on feedback from actual users.

When you start with strong, user-focused requirements, you build a portal that actually solves problems, not just adds complexity. And that’s how you create something people trust and love to use.

2. Choose Software Outsourcing Partner

Let’s be honest, no matter how great your idea is, the wrong tech partner can sink it fast. Delays, ballooning budgets, buggy software. We've all heard the horror stories.

That’s why choosing a reliable, experienced development partner isn’t just important, it’s critical. The right team brings more than just technical skills. They bring structure, speed, and solutions that actually work.

Here’s how to make a smart choice when reviewing top patient portal vendors:

• Evaluate vendor experience in healthcare software
• Check references and previous projects
• Assess technical skills and communication capabilities
• Consider cost and contract terms 

If you're looking for a trusted outsourcing partner with experience in patient portal software development, consider collaborating with companies that understand both healthcare compliance and usability. For example, at Golden Owl, we’ve supported healthcare clients globally in building secure, scalable, and user-centric platforms.

Golden Owl is one of the leading software outsourcing companies in Vietnam  with 10 years of experience in building custom healthcare platforms. Our team of skilled developers, UX designers, and project managers understands the unique challenges in the healthcare industry. We specialize in patient portal software development, managing everything from initial RFP in project management to final delivery. 

👉 Need help with your patient portal project? Get in touch with our consultants to explore a tailored development roadmap.

3. Design UI/UX

Good user interface and experience design is key to making the portal easy and enjoyable to use. This step focuses on creating intuitive navigation, clear layouts, and accessible features that encourage patients and staff to use the system regularly, which is essential in successful patient portal software development. To achieve this, you should:

• Sketch wireframes and test clickable prototypes early
• Ensure mobile responsiveness and accessibility
• Use large fonts, clear buttons, and high contrast for readability
• Choose bright and relaxing color themes: blue, green
• Follow accessibility guidelines (like WCAG) for inclusivity
• Test design concepts with real users
• Refine based on feedbacks

4. Develop MVP Version

Building an MVP for patient portal software is a smart way to start. It gives healthcare teams a faster path to launch. Instead of building everything at once, you focus on what matters most.

With a strong MVP development service, your portal goes live sooner. You can conduct usability testing to get feedback from real users, early and often on core features.

More importantly, you stay in control. You test key features before going full scale healthcare portal development. You reduce risk. You manage costs. And you move forward with clarity.

• Develop essential features only
• Implement secure data handling
• Set up basic patient and staff accounts
• Integrate with existing hospital systems if possible
• Prepare for initial user testing

5. Test and Quality Assurance

Testing is a key step in patient portal software development. It ensures the system works correctly, safely, and reliably. Testing stops bugs, security risks, and bad user experiences. These issues can hurt patient trust or disrupt healthcare work. Testing also helps meet rules and deliver a quality product in healthcare app development.

• Perform functional and performance testing
• Conduct security and privacy audits
• Test user workflows end-to-end
• Fix identified issues promptly
• Document test results

6. Launch and User Training

A smooth launch and proper training are vital steps in patient portal software development. When users receive clear guidance from the beginning, they can adopt the new system quickly and confidently. Early onboarding reduces confusion, limits resistance to change, and encourages long-term engagement. 

• Plan a rollout strategy (phased or full launch)
• Provide user manuals and tutorials
• Train staff and support patients
• Set up customer support channels
• Collect user feedback for continuous improvement

7. Maintain and Update

In practice, ongoing maintenance includes regular security audits, codebase refactoring, performance monitoring, user feedback analysis, and third-party integration updates. These tasks are essential to keep the patient portal secure, compatible, and responsive to changing user needs. Regular improvements not only boost user satisfaction but also extend the system’s lifespan. This makes maintenance a critical phase in any patient portal software development project.

• Monitor system performance
• Fix bugs and security vulnerabilities
• Add new features based on user feedback
• Update software for compliance and tech upgrades
• Provide ongoing user support

How Much Does It Cost to Develop Patient Portal Software?

The cost of developing a custom patient portal typically ranges from $30,000 to $150,000 or more. The final price depends on your specific features, integrations, and complexity requirements.

The total cost depends on several factors, such as the features you want, the complexity of the system, and the development approach.  Here to sum up factors of patient portal software cost:

• Features increase cost: More features like appointment scheduling, messaging, billing, and test results raise the price.
• Customization costs more: Custom portals need extra design and coding.
• Integration adds cost: Connecting with EHR and other systems takes more work.
• Design matters: User-friendly and responsive designs need more time and effort.
• Development team affects cost: Prices vary if you hire in-house, freelancers, or outsource.
• Maintenance costs add up: Updates, bug fixes, and support increase the total cost.

When you understand these factors, it’s easier to plan your budget and pick the best approach for building your patient portal. 

Conclusion

A patient portal helps doctors, patients, and staff work better together. It lets people book appointments, manage prescriptions, pay bills, and send messages, all in one place. To build a good portal, start by understanding what users need. Choose the right team to build it, and keep the design easy to use. This kind of tool makes healthcare more modern, more convenient, and better for everyone.

FAQs

Q1. Can patients use the portal on mobile?

Yes. Most patient portals work on phones and tablets. Many offer apps for iOS and Android. Patients can check their health data anytime, anywhere.

Q2. How long does it take to build a portal?

It usually takes 3 to 6 months. The exact time depends on the features, integrations, and level of customization. An integrated patient portal connected with EMR patient portal software might take longer. However, they ensure a better user experience and data accuracy.

Q3. Can a portal connect to hospital systems?

Absolutely. A well-developed portal can easily integrate with EMRs and other tools. Many top patient portal vendors focus on building integrated patient portals. And they connect data in real time, improving communication and workflow across departments.

Q4. Is the portal secure?

Yes. Modern integrated patient portals use strong encryption and role-based access. Following HIPAA and other regulations is standard in patient portal app development.

Q5. Is custom development more expensive?

Generally, yes. Custom portals may require a larger upfront investment, but they’re tailored to your organization’s needs. That’s why many providers turn to top patient portal vendors for EMR patient portal software.